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Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg

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An 18th-century private mansion and former home to the French Marie Claire magazine, Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg is located in a highly elegant area of Paris, on a street close enough to the American Embassy to require round-the-clock police guards.

Steps away from the Tuileries Gardens and Grand Palais Galeries, this newly renovated hotel has glamour that will leave you swooning. Walk inside to a bustling bar area, where shoppers converge and guests take a coffee or wine break and sink into Louis XV-style armchairs to absorb the surrounding gallery of larger-than-life prints of fashion icons.

The lovely courtyard is another option to absorb the charming Parisian atmosphere, as is Stay Faubourg, an international-inspired restaurant by an acclaimed French chef.

• Beyond the fitness room with walls covered in leather and past the golden globe fountain is a spa-like area that offers a hammam and experience shower unique to each guest’s preference — the choice of light, fragrance (Caribbean tropical rain, perhaps?) and water pressure are offered.

• If more relaxation is in order, the concierge will happily book a massage (given an hour’s notice) so that you may enjoy the eco-friendly Cinq Mondes products. The spa is next to the fitness room, but double doors create a barrier of silence.

• An acclaimed chef is enough to draw a crowd to any restaurant, but having a dessert library certainly seals the deal. A specially designed window showcases a plethora of sweet ingredients and chocolates for you to peruse before decision time.

• Can’t decide which decadent dessert to pick at Stay Faubourg? Pick one favorite ingredient and the rest is a work of edible art in action as the chefs prepare a tailor-made dish.

• Gomes’ retro ’60s and ’ 70s vision is carried forward with black-and-white photographs of fashionable women, then painted in pastels and displayed in each room; many of the images are placed over the bed.

• Fashion is the design inspiration at this chic Parisianhotel. One of the rooms has a diamond-shaped cocktail table, while another boasts leather covering on closet doors.

The Rooms

• Amenities in all rooms hail from Hermès, whether in the deluxe category or second room category (size is the difference).

• The suites of the Sofitel were architecturally designed to emulate a Parisian home, with royal molding over thresholds and color schemes of neutrals mixed with yellow and gold tones.

• Every room has a Nespresso machine, and all the linens and accents coordinate with the pastel artwork on the walls; a sense of haute couture is felt throughout the house.

• In some accommodations, the entire wall is a photograph of a glamorous Barbie-like woman with an hour-glass figure dressed in a fitted black dress with a white frilly chiffon shrug and black gloves — it is also the door entrance to a closet.

The Restaurants

• With every slice of pressed foie gras fused with smoked seaweed, a glass of rosé champagne complements the experience of a meal at Stay Faubourg.

• Executive chef William Girard carries out Alléno’s adventurous concepts by preparing dishes such as tataki de boeuf, a casual, yet elevated plate.

• Be sure to save room for the decadent desserts. Hazelnut-flavored gavotte or banana croustillant with candied dates are a couple choices, as is a taste of house-made raspberry marshmallow.

• Le Bar du Faubourg is a hip spot to gather and eye the warm clubby, black-and-white décor and fashion photography, as well as indulge light bites and a couple excellent cocktails.

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